Chapter Nineteen

"So you see, the problem with most employers is this. When hiring, they are too focused on their work experiences and educational background. The point of the study is if it is more effective to hire based on attitude rather than skills and knowledge."

She continued to explain what her research was as I listened carefully. This is our start day in working on her Human Resource Project. She already emailed me details of her project and some basic information beforehand. She's just clarifying some parts I, a Psychology major, would not understand.

It's been a week since we first talked in Makati City. We had already told Ryan and Diane about our "mandatory pre-selected collaboration project". We did our best whining our frustrations out on the two so they'll believe it. They were surprised, of course. But lucky for us, they bought it.

We decided to meet up today at the coffee shop I worked at. She came right after my shift as planned. We used one of the tables available in the shop. We first discussed our next steps in getting the two back together. We also talked in detail about how the two reacted to our collaboration.

After that, we began working on the Human Resource Project. We were seated facing each other. She brought out a document with a list of attitudes an ideal employee should have. Then, she discusses what my task will be. She asked me to come up with a psychological test questionnaire. The test must be able to pinpoint if an applicant possesses these qualities.

She handed me the list and I took it from her. However, as I was looking at the list, she was also looking at it. She was leaning on the table and looking at the list as if she was making a final check. The table was small so our faces were pretty much close.

My face started to feel hot. Why is she so close? It was nerve-wracking having so little distance between us. It reminded me of that time at the mall's parking lot. When she had her arms around my neck and her lips on mine. My lips can even remember how soft hers felt.

Damn! Justin, stop thinking about it.

Suddenly, I felt a presence stop in front of our table. Both of us looked at him. My eyes grew wide. Sancho was standing right there gaping at us.

The evil snake leaned back on her seat completely unaware of the proximity we had earlier.

"Is there something you need?" she asked Sancho who was too shocked to speak first.

"Y-yes. I need to speak to my friend, Justin," he said.

"Okay. You can begin to talk to him," she said.

"No. I meant just the two of us. Can I borrow him to talk outside?"

"Okay. For how long?" she asked. At this point, their conversation sounds like Sancho is asking permission from her. Since when did this evil snake become my guardian?

"It will only be in a quick moment," Sancho said.

"Okay. Don't take too long. We still have more to discuss." she said.

"Okay," Sancho said. Then, he grabbed hold of me and half dragged me out of the coffee shop.

When we were out on the sidewalk in front of the shop, Sancho stopped and looked at me with a wide-eyed expression.

"What the hell are you doing!?" he asked.

"What do you mean? What am I doing?" I asked a bit dumbfounded. Sancho looked like he wanted to slam his palm on his forehead.

"Let me rephrase the question..." he said, "What were you doing with her!? I thought you hated each other for some reason that you wouldn't tell me!"

Oh? Of course, I can't tell him the truth. We're not allowed to tell anybody about it to avoid being found out. So, I told him a different reason.

"I know. I hate her but we can't keep being enemies because of our situation. I need to, at least try getting along with her. So, I decided to help her with her project. You know I don't like having enemies."

"But you're making enemies by getting closer to her!" Sancho said. I got confused. What?

"What do you mean? How am I making enemies?"

"Patrick still likes her."

"And what does it have to do with me? He already cut me off, remember?"

Sancho looked so stressed out. He took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Justin, I have been convincing Patrick these past months that Claire is only using you as a shield. I was trying so hard to persuade him that Claire doesn't like him and only used you so he can't get to her. I told him you got mad at her for ruining your friendship. What will he say if he sees you two together and being so close? You're wasting my efforts!"

I wanted to palm myself. Damn, Patrick for being so delusional for that lesbian. But sadly, luck was not on my side today. Because speaking of the devil, and the devil shall appear.

"Sancho! Are you talking to that traitor?" Patrick said as soon as he spotted us. He walked along with Roby and Chris who both looked very displeased.

"I-I-I'm just asking him something important," Sancho said.

But before anyone can speak any further, the coffee shop's door opened. Out came the person who shouldn't have come out. Why is luck so cruel to me?

"Your "quick moment" took longer than I expected," she said to Sancho. She turned her gaze to the other three people present and she raised an eyebrow.

"And I thought you said that it would be only you two talking. It doesn't look like that," she commented.

"Claire? What are you doing here? Were you with him?" Patrick said while pointing a finger at me.

The evil snake with her devilish smile walked in the space between me and Patrick. She faced Patrick.

"I believe... that is none of your business," she said.

"What do you see in him that I don't have?" Patrick asked.

"Nothing. I just don't like you," she said. Those words definitely burn. But to be fair, it is still the truth.

"But why?"

At this point, the evil snake only responded with a loud laugh. I, too, wanted to laugh but I tried to control myself. God, why is he like this? I never thought Patrick's like this.

"I can't believe you are this dumb. You are too dense to not realize it," she said after recovering from her laughter.

"You are not my type." she continues to say. "But I think the more exact words are I'm not into you or any man in particular. That is because I am a goddamn lesbian."

The collective gasps from the people around me were very audible. I can't blame them. Someone so beautiful like her as a lesbian is hard to believe.

"I-I-I don't believe you," Patrick said still being stubborn.

The evil snake took an exasperated breath before speaking.

"I dated Aria."

Everyone's eyes, including mine, grew wide. I can't believe she revealed that!

"What?" Patrick said out of shock.

"Jezzlyn Aria Pua. You two also dated in the past, right?"

Patrick only stared at her in shock. She took this opportunity to explain.

"Yes, I dated her when she was still together with that friend of yours over there." She said while pointing her thumb at me.

"He found us out. He got mad at me and become enemies since then. But who would have thought that his brother was dating my cousin? We are trying to make amends for their sake." she continued.

"In the past, I used him to drive you off and at the same time, humiliate him. But sad to say, I was wrong. You turned out to be so stupid and thought I was playing hard to get. So, let's end it here now. I'm a lesbian. I like girls, not boys so back off."

"I don't-" Patrick was going to say something but Claire cut him off.

"Oh? By the way, I also dated Melissa before you two started dating," she said with an evil grin.

Melissa? No way! She dated Patrick's ex-girlfriend, the one who played Patrick.

"I would like to apologize for teaching her how to play with hearts," she said but her apology was insincere.

However, that made Patrick go into complete shock. He was shaking. The information was too much for him. Then, I heard a message ringtone. The evil snake pulled out her phone to take a look at it.

"Oh great. I need to be elsewhere now," she said. Then, she turned to me.

"I left your assignment on the table. Just message me if you have questions," she said.

"Okay" is the only thing I managed to say. I thought she'd leave... but she didn't. Instead, she turned to Patrick, Roby, and Chris.

"Look, your friend over there was just an oblivious pawn in my game. If there was a bigger victim here, that's him. So, if I were you, I wouldn't waste my time antagonizing an innocent person."

After that, she left without taking another glance at us.

No one moved, not Patrick, not Roby, not Chris, and not even Sancho. No one can utter a word after what just happened. So, I made a brave move.

"I think I should go now too," I said and went into the coffee shop.

I walked back to the table and saw the documents placed neatly there. When I reached the table, I saw a note on it.

Everything you need is here. Message me if you have any questions. ~J.Claire

I smiled at the note as I read it. She isn't so bad after all.